John P. Ryan
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 30, 1936
- Died
- March 20, 2007 (aged 70)
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, USA
Biography
Character actor John P. Ryan was born on July 30, 1936 in New York City. The son of Irish immigrant parents, Ryan graduated from Rice High School and studied English at the City College of New York, where he first developed an interest in acting. He served six years in the US Army and worked as a welfare investigator prior to pursuing an acting career. John made his film debut in the 1967 comedy "The Tiger Makes Out." He appeared in five pictures for Jack Nicholson; he's especially memorable as male nurse Spicer in "Five Easy Pieces." Manic, pale-eyed and craggy-faced, with an often intense and explosive screen presence, Ryan was frequently cast as nasty villains, hard-boiled police officers, and strict military men. John gave a strong and touching performance in a rare change-of-pace sympathetic role as Frank Davis, the bitter and regretful father of a murderous monster mutant baby in Larry Cohen's excellent "It's Alive." He also portrayed Davis in the okay sequel "It Lives Again." Other notable movie parts include the fanatical Colonel Hardcore in "Shamus," shrewd mob capo Patsy O'Neill in the witty "Cops and Robbers," evil scientist Schneider in "Futureworld," the dogged Lt. Parmental in "Breathless," vicious Irish mobster Joe Flynn in "The Cotten Club;" at his ferocious best as sadistic prison Warden Ranken in the powerful "Runaway Train," hateful fascist lunatic Glastenbury in the exciting "Avenging Force," ruthless drug kingpin Nathan White in the cruddy "Death Wish IV: The Crackdown," ramrod high school principal Mr. O'Rourke in the amusing "Three O'Clock High," and lethal robot history teacher Mr. Hardin in "Class of 1999." Among the TV shows Ryan did guest spots on are "M.A.S.H.," "The Rockford Files," "Hawaii Five-O," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "Starsky & Hutch," "Kojak," "Hart to Hart," "The F.B.I.," and "Miami Vice." John had a recurring role on the TV series "Archer." In addition to his film and TV credits, Ryan also appeared in over 90 stage plays. Following his final film appearance in "Bound," John spent his later years giving acting lessons and was an advocate of spiritual healing. John P. Ryan died from a stroke at age 70 on March 20, 2007 in Los Angeles, California; he's survived by two daughters.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Pixar Story
Movie · as Dr. Schneider (archive footage)
Bound
Movie · as Mickey Malnato
Bad Blood
Movie · as John Blackstone
The Patriots
Movie · as Arthur
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Movie · as Buzz Bronski (voice)
Young Goodman Brown
Movie · as The Devil
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
TV · as Sheriff Bob Cavendish · 1 ep
Hoffa
Movie · as Red Bennett
Star Time
Movie · as Sam Bones
White Sands
Movie · as Arms Dealer (Uncredited)
Blood River
Movie · as Henry Logan
Class of 1999
Movie · as Mr. Hardin
Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection
Movie · as Gen. Taylor
Eternity
Movie · as Thomas Vandervere / Prosecutor
Best of the Best
Movie · as Jennings
Paramedics
Movie · as Captain Prescott
Death Wish 4: The Crackdown
Movie · as Nathan White
Fatal Beauty
Movie · as Lt. Kellerman
City of Shadows
Movie · as Sergeant Fireman
Rent-a-Cop
Movie · as Wieser
Three O'Clock High
Movie · as Mr. O'Rourke
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
Movie · as Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice)
Avenging Force
Movie · as Prof. Elliott Glastenbury
Houston: The Legend of Texas
Movie · as David Burnett
Runaway Train
Movie · as Ranken
Hollywood Beat
TV · 1 ep
The Cotton Club
Movie · as Joe Flynn
Miami Vice
TV · as Jake Manning · 1 ep
Breathless
Movie · as Lt. Parmental
Shooting Stars
Movie · as McGee
The Right Stuff
Movie · as Head of Program
The Escape Artist
Movie · as Vernon
Cagney & Lacey
TV · as Philip Corrigan · 1 ep
Matt Houston
TV · 1 ep
Faerie Tale Theatre
TV · as Hendrick Hudson / Narrator (voice) · 1 ep
American Playhouse
TV · as Peter Doyle · 1 ep
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Movie · as Kennedy
Simon & Simon
TV · 1 ep
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark
Movie · as Coslough
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
TV · as Kurt Belzack · 1 ep
Hart to Hart
TV · 1 ep
Paris
TV · 1 ep
It Lives Again
Movie · as Frank Davis
Kaz
TV · 1 ep
A Killing Affair
Movie · as Flagler
Kill Me If You Can
Movie · as Johnson
Futureworld
Movie · as Dr. Mort Schneider
The Missouri Breaks
Movie · as Si
Target Risk
Movie · as Ralph Sloan
Death Scream
Movie · as Detective Dave Lambert
Starsky & Hutch
TV · 2 eps
Archer
TV · as Lieutenant Barney Brighton · 6 eps
Matt Helm
TV · as Carl Ainsley · 1 ep
It's Alive
Movie · as Frank Davis
Police Woman
TV · 1 ep
The Rockford Files
TV · as Dearborn · 1 ep
Shamus
Movie · as Col. Craig C. Hardcore
Dillinger
Movie · as Charles Mackley
Cops and Robbers
Movie · as Patsy O'Neill
Kojak
TV · as Peter Ibbotson · 1 ep
The King of Marvin Gardens
Movie · as Surtees
The Legend of Nigger Charley
Movie · as Houston
M*A*S*H
TV · as Major Van Zandt · 1 ep
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me
Movie · as Oeuf
Five Easy Pieces
Movie · as Spicer
Hawaii Five-O
TV · as Guido Marioni · 1 ep
A Lovely Way to Die
Movie · as Harry Samson (uncredited)
A Hatful of Rain
Movie · as Chuck
The Tiger Makes Out
Movie · as Man Engaged to Female Impersonator (uncredited)
The F.B.I.
TV · as Ernie Flood, William Quine · 1 ep